CULTURE
Arts event to open
An annual event aimed at promoting cultural and arts exchanges between Taiwan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region will begin in Taipei next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The Asia-Pacific Culture Day will open on Sept. 6 and, despite the name, will run for two days, featuring music, dance and handicrafts from participating countries throughout the region, the ministry’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs deputy director-general Bob Chen (陳龍錦) said. Participating countries will set up booths to introduce their cultures and products, Chen said. Performances will include modern and traditional dances from Japan, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands, along with South Korean percussion performances, he said. The annual event is to be held at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, the ministry said.
EDUCATION
Universities plan league
Top universities in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore are set to form the “Pine League” in an effort to strengthen their partnership and promote academic, arts and sports exchanges, National Taiwan University (NTU) said on Monday. The universities are NTU; China’s Peking University and Tsinghua University; the University of Hong Kong; and the National University of Singapore. NTU said the universities, ranked the top five in the Chinese-speaking world, are all interested in pushing for the league to promote information exchange and cooperation. NTU president Yang Pan-chyr (楊泮池) said the league’s proposed name was inspired by pine trees being a symbol of perseverance, because they usually live for many years. He said the five universities are hoping to work together to contribute to society.
ENTERTAINMENT
S Korean actress to visit
South Korean actress Ha Ji-won will begin a tour of Asia by meeting fans in Taiwan in October, South Korean media said, citing Ha’s representative agency, Haewadal Entertainment. The 36-year-old star gained popularity in the nation for her portrayal of the titular character in the South Korean period TV drama Empress Ki. She played the Korean wife of the last emperor of China’s Yuan Dynasty. In other news, Japanese all-female pop group HKT48 announced that it is set to hold its first concert in Taiwan in December. The concert is to be held at the ATT Show Box in Taipei on Dec. 7. The group was created in 2011 by Japanese record producer Yasushi Akimoto, who also produced the AKB48 franchise.
CULTURE
Poetry show unveils lineup
This year’s Taipei Poetry Festival will feature renowned Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, among more than 30 writers from home and abroad, organizers said yesterday. At a seminar during the festival, Tanikawa, 83, will speak about his work, said Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which is organizing the festival. The festival, scheduled to run from Oct. 18 until Nov. 2, will also screen a documentary on Tanikawa, one of Japan’s most popular poets, the organizers said. Tanikawa, born in Tokyo, is quite prolific, having written more than 70 collections of poetry, the department said. It said Oksana Lutsyshyna of Ukraine, Joe Dunthorne of the UK and several Taiwanese poets will also be among the participating writers. The festival will include speeches, film screenings and music performances at venues around Taipei to present poetry in different ways, the organizers said.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
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